Mundabor: What If Pope Francis Goes Nuclear Next October?

An Italian Canonist has presented a petition to ask the Cardinal to examine whether Francis is not in manifest heresy and, in case, decide whether he should be deposed.

The text of the petition, in English, is here. [ NOTE: see PETITION, below ]

The petition merits to be read with attention before forming a beginning of an opinion, much less writing any comment.

It is not for me to say whether the path envisaged by the petitioner is one that most sound theologians would consider applicable in theory, or whether Francis’ antics – material heresy, certainly; formal heresy, I would say for now certainly not – would justify his deposition (ex nunc or ex tunc) from a suitable number of Cardinals. I have often stated, and repeat today, than in this matter I will refer to the opinion of those who know much more than myself about it, and whose judgment in this matter I trust implicitly: the Society of St. Pius X, the strongest and truest bastion of Catholic orthodoxy. My take is, therefore, that if the SSPX declares the See vacant, or the Pope in any way whatsoever legitimately deprived of his office, I will follow their position; but until that moment, I will consider that a disgraceful Pope is in power, albeit I will – cela va sans dire – refuse obedience to him in every matter in which the higher loyalty to Christ is at stake.

The reason why I have posted this petition is that this is, literally, a glimpse into the future; at least for the case that Francis decides to go bonkers next October, and choose the open confrontation.

Whilst it does not seem to me that the way suggested by the petitioner is necessarily the way to go – again, I refer here to the authority of those I trust -, there can be no doubt that this is the kind of situation we will have starting from October 2015, if Francis pushes the nuclear button.

When even Jesuits consider the question whether the Pope is a heretic a fully legitimate one, it is clear Francis is sailing very close to the wind.

Unless the Lord graces us with a sudden demise or resignation of that pitiful individual, we are in for some interesting times indeed.

Petition to the Cardinals of the Roman Church regarding the grave improprieties of Pope Francis

As a Baptized member of the Catholic Church, in accord with my divine right to make known to my sacred pastors, the things which I see as necessary to the unity of the Church, the preservation of the Faith and the salvation of souls, I herewith submit this petition to the College of the Cardinals, as princes of the Roman Church, to whom it belongs both in law to elect the Roman Pontiff, and by immemorial right, to judge the man who holds the Pontificate if he err from the faith, and depose him, as Michael a Corona taught in his Tractatus Postumus (Liege, 1677), Tract I, Chapter XXI, n. II, “Whether the Cardinals have any power about the Pope?”:

“A Pontiff, lapsed into heresy, can be most justly deposed. Thus Duvallius, above in q. 10. The reason is, that it is not credible that Christ wants to retain him as Vicar of His Church, who pertinaciously segregates himself whole from Her, since Christ has especially commanded Her, to hear His Voice as a faithful people, and to comply with Him, just as sheep hear the voice of their shepherd. John 10: 3: The sheep hear His Voice and they follow Him. Verse 4: The sheep follow Him. But far be it, only, that the Church should hear a Pontiff lapsed into heresy, She who rather is bound to stop up Her own ears against his violent speech, lest She be infected by the venom of his doctrine, and his casting-out and new election ought to be urged by the assembly of the Sacred Cardinals. The reason is, for, since the Pontiff is the fundament of the Church, the Rock, the Cornerstone, the Base, the Teacher, and the general Shepherd, his heresy abolishes all his privileges, and cancels (them), because he is a destroyer and scatterer of the Church, and consequently is no longer the Pontiff. And/or if he remains there, after he will have been judicially denounced as a heretic, he is to be immediately dispossessed of the Pontificate, if his heresy is external and manifest through the evidence of fact, and/or the declaration of a Council. But not if it be internal and only mental. The reason is, because he is no longer a member of the Church, nor Her head, nor does he cleave to Her by the internal union, which is through faith, nor by the external, which is through the confession of the Faith, and has been cut off from Her in each manner. A schismatic Pontiff incurs the same punishment, as Turrecremata, bk. 4, of Summa Ecclesia, part 1, ch. R1, says; Cajetan, II, II, q. 37, a. 1. Duvallius teaches above in q. 9, that he can enter into schism. First, if he no longer fulfills the office of the Pontiff, or does not wish to be subject to him, who would be elected in his place, but would join himself to the Conciliabula of the Schismatics. Second, if he should wish to change the ancient rites and customs of the Church, remaining from Apostolic tradition, or, rather, if he would pluck away and separate from the unity of the Church those wanting to retain these ceremonies. Third, if he would separate himself on account of an unjust cause from the communion of the whole Church and of all the Bishops, and at the same time will to communicate with certain adherents of his, as is shown in the divine Cyprian, bk. 4, epistle 2, Novatian did, who was pointed out by Cyprian a little after as a Schismatic, and outside the bosom of the Church. And though (this is to be deplored), he had patiently tolerated tyrants for Christ’s sake, Saint Cyprian wrote back that thereafter there was inflicted upon him a death outside the unity of the Church, not the crown of a Martyr, but the punishment of perfidy.”

Mindful, that by the decree of Pope Paul IV, Cum ex apostolatus officio (Dec. 21, 1566), the College and indeed the entire Church is gravely bound to only choose and recognize as validly chosen a man of the Catholic Faith; and mindful that Jorge Bergoglio has both before and after his election on March 13, 2013, expressed himself and acted in ways long condemned by the Apostolic See, as one of many faithful, I humbly ask you to fulfill your duty to protect the Church and the Apostolic see from corruption, by convening at a place chosen among yourself, to judge the questions:

1) Whether Jorge Maria Bergoglio was validly elected, in fulfillment of the decreed of Paul IV, just mentioned, inasmuch as prior to his election he promoted for years in Argentina the concession of communion to those in irregular marriages during the Curas Villeros, which directly contradicts the teaching of the Council of Trent, Session 13, canon XI:

CANON XI.: lf any one saith, that faith alone is a sufficient preparation for receiving the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist; let him be anathema. And for fear lest so great a sacrament may be received unworthily, and so unto death and condemnation, this holy Synod ordains and declares, that sacramental confession, when a confessor may be had, is of necessity to be made beforehand, by those whose conscience is burdened with mortal sin, howsoever contrite they may think themselves. But if any one shall presume to teach, preach, or obstinately to assert, or even in public disputation to defend the contrary, he shall be thereupon excommunicated.

Since, if he was subject to this censure, then in accord with the decree of Pope Paul IV, above mentioned, he was invalidly raised to the dignity of the Cardinalate, and also invalidly elected Roman Pontiff.

2) If, however, you should judge that he was validly elected, I then ask you to judge whether he has lost the office of Roman Pontiff on account of his pertinacious denial of the Faith and/or his malicious manifest intent to persecute the faithful attached to the ancient ecclesiastical traditions, each of which is in violation of the anathema of the Second Council of Nicea, held in 787 A.D., (4th anathema), “If anyone whomsoever should despise any ecclesiastical tradition, anathema sit”, among which traditions are the celebration of the Ancient Roman Rite and the perennial practice of the Catholic Church, from Apostolic times, of refusing communion to adulterers and public sinners.

For, if he falls under this censure of Nicea, then likewise would his election be invalidated by the decree of Pope Paul IV.

3) Finally, even if the anathemas and canons which Pope Paul IV declares valid in perpetuity, would not be enough reason for any member of the Sacred College to convict the man of heresy or perfidious malice to overthrow ecclesiastical tradition, it remains a theological truth of the divine law and ecclesiology, that no one who seeks to harm the Church in anything essential, such as Her fidelity to Christ’s Magisterium, can be in communion with Her; and as such, even a schismatic, morally speaking, cannot be considered in communion with the Church, and thus should and must be removed from office. Wherefore, I ask you to judge whether he is morally in schism from the Church, regarding Her immemorial faith and practice which can never be changed.

Considering the gravity of what is petitioned, I the undersigned request a diligent and thorough investigation, and ask that you princes of the Sacred College gather to hear the evidence submitted to you from the faithful throughout the world, and if you choose, do so in a special meeting, chosen by yourselves, before the feast of Easter, 2015 A.D..

Discussion

Gaetano Romano I suggest you read the Petition carefully and fully before signing, to see how eminently temperate and reasonable it is. The Highlights is a short explanation of the motives for authoring this petition. The author of this petition is a Baptized Catholic in the Diocese of Rome, Italy.

One comment on “Mundabor: What If Pope Francis Goes Nuclear Next October?”

For any church historians, when was the last time this happened in church history?

“When even Jesuits consider the question whether the Pope is a heretic a fully legitimate one, it is clear Francis is sailing very close to the wind.”Father Sarducci, S.J.: Well, that’s one way of putting it. We’ve been hearing a lot of rumbles at the Gregorian.
Father Bergoglio splits hairs in so many different directions, it is hard keeping up.
On the other hand, if they depose Bergoglio, I understand there is a Protestant convert blogger in Seattle ready to take his place.